Hamilton public school board whistleblower policy called ‘cultural shift’
The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board will consult the public on a draft whistleblower policy that promises to ensure there are no reprisals against anyone who reports suspected wrongdoing in good faith.
I actually see this as kind of a catalyst for a cultural shift within our board," west Mountain trustee Becky Buck said during discussion at the board's March 2 online policy committee meeting.
We're making a safer environment for everyone who walks into any of our doors, so that they know that if they see or experience something that they shouldn't be in one of our buildings, then they are protected in reporting that."
Trustees added parents to those covered by policy, which also includes current and former trustees, employees, service providers, students, volunteers, vendors, contractors and partner organizations.
The policy encourages them to report a suspected irregularity" in 14 areas ranging from criminal offences like theft or fraud to neglect of duty, abuse of trust, falsifying reports, mismanaging funds and wilfully breaching legal obligations, policies or regulations.
To do so, the board will establish a designated email account, voice-mail line, mail address or other methods to report suspected improprieties, and will assess, investigate or refer them as necessary and confidentially report on results.
The education director will also provide an annual report to the board's audit committee on the policy's implementation and general findings.
Associate director Sue Dunlop said the whistleblower policy is new to the board but draws on existing policies and experiences at other boards.
We know that it's going to engender quite a bit of interest and we expect a robust consultation and feedback on this, which we're very much looking forward to," she said.
What you see in front of you is our best thinking at this moment and we're happy to take feedback and changes to policies as needed."
Dunlop did not provide a timeline for the consultation, but the board has previously said it hopes to adopt a final version of the policy by this fall.
The board's elementary teachers' union in November supported creating a policy, citing a 2020 equity audit that found marginalized employees lacked a complaints process to safely raise concerns.
Cindy Gangaram, the union's chief negotiator and grievance officer, said that's made those facing discrimination because of race, ability, gender, sexuality or other protected human rights grounds reluctant to speak up.
As a complainant, you're often labelled as a problem or a troublemaker for bringing up your concerns," she told trustees at their Nov. 3 policy meeting.